FAKE Fic: Not The Same
May. 23rd, 2025 06:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
badly_knittedTitle: Not The Same
Fandom: FAKE
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Dee, JJ, Ted, Ryo.
Rating: PG
Setting: During the manga.
Summary: Dee explains why his pursuit of Ryo and JJ’s pursuit of him are worlds apart.
Word Count: 1111
Written For: Jae's Monthly Drabble Challenge 231 - Take Your Own Advice.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
Just once, Dee thought, he’d like to arrive at work and NOT get ambushed by his lovestruck stalker. It would make such a pleasant change to get through a day without adding more bruises that weren’t, technically speaking, even work-related. It was one thing getting into a bit of a scuffle with some jerk he was trying to arrest, criminals were seldom willing to come quietly, but when one of his own colleagues managed to inflict more injuries on him in a week than he got in a month from doing his job… Well, something was seriously off.
Today, unfortunately for Dee, was not going to be that longed for day when JJ finally accepted that he wasn’t interested, because the second Dee set foot in the Serious Crime Unit’s squad room, there was an ear-spitting squeal of delight, and he was forced to brace for impact as JJ cannoned into him, babbling about how much he’d missed him. Like they hadn’t seen each other in months, when in reality it had been less than twelve hours. Dee really needed a vacation, just to recover from his colleague’s over-enthusiastic daily greetings. He was already black and blue, and he winced as JJ’s arms wrapped around him in a rib-cracking hug.
“For fuck’s sake, JJ, get off me!” Dee had to forcibly prise JJ off him, the little guy was like a cross between a limpet and a vice, and he pouted as Dee shoved him away, none too gently.
“Someone got out of bed on the wrong side this morning. I was only saying hello!”
“No, you were tryin’ to break my goddamn ribs! Just leave me the hell alone! Why can’t ya just accept I’m not interested, and I never will be?”
“But I love you! We’d be perfect together!”
“Only in your demented imagination! Get this through your thick skull: I don’t love you, I don’t want you, I don’t even LIKE you! Go find yourself someone who enjoys gettin’ glomped a dozen times a day, ‘cause that sure as hell isn’t me! Only thing you give me is a headache and more frickin’ bruises!”
“That’s not true! I give you lots of things!”
“And I don’t want any of ‘em, which you’d know if you ever listened to what I’m sayin’!”
“I can’t talk to you when you’re like this.” JJ frowned up at Dee.
“Like what, bein’ myself?”
“Being completely unreasonable. We’ll talk when you’ve calmed down.”
“Not if I see ya comin’ we won’t. I plan to be elsewhere.” Dee turned and shambled over to his desk, slumping into his chair and looking across to where his partner ought to be sitting, but Ryo wasn’t there. Disappointment swept through Dee; he’d been looking forward to seeing the man who filled most of his waking thoughts and all his best dreams. Ryo weas never late to work, so where was he?
“He’s in the Chief’s office,” Ted said, wandering over to join him. “You ever think you should maybe try followin’ your own advice, set your sights on someone who might be interested in you instead of lustin’ after Ryo? You’re as obsessed with him as JJ is with you.”
“Am not!” Dee glared up at his friend. “You take that back! You ever see me jumpin’ all over Ryo every time he walks in the room?”
“No, but you get this look that says you want to.”
“Who wouldn’t? He’s the hottest guy I’ve met in forever. Also happens to be my best friend.”
“But you want more than friendship, and you know it. You might keep your hands mostly to yourself at work, but everyone knows you’ve got the hots for him.”
“So what if I do? It’s not like I’m tryin’ to hide it.”
“You’re never gonna have him, any more than JJ’s ever gonna have you. Ryo doesn’t swing that way.”
“And since when have you been an expert? He’s just in denial, but I’m workin’ on that.”
“Like JJ’s workin’ on you?”
Dee snorted. “Not even close.”
“So what’s the difference between you pursuin’ Ryo, and JJ pursuin’ you? Explain it to me. Make me understand, ‘cause from where I’m standin’, you’re as bad as each other.”
“Okay.” Dee leaned back in his chair, stretching his long legs out and lacing his fingers behind his head. “JJ attacks me every single day, huggin’ me, tryin’ to kiss me, and if I could avoid him, I would. Not my fault we haveta work at the same precinct. I’ve never kissed him back, never spent time with him outside work, not one on one, and only AT work when I absolutely have to. I avoid him as much as I can. With me so far?”
“Sure.”
“Now Ryo… Yeah, we’re work partners, gotta work together all day, but outside work? I go over to his place for dinner two, three times a week, because he INVITES me. We hang out together after work all the time, spend hours just talkin’ about everything, ‘cause we’re friends.”
“Bein’ friends doesn’t mean he’s interested in anything more,” Ted pointed out.
“If that was all, maybe you’d be right, but, and this is the important part, when I kiss him, he kisses me back. He might get mad afterwards, at himself as much as at me, but it never stops him wantin’ to spend time with me. And one other thing. Sometimes, he’s the one who kisses me.” Dee grinned up at Ted. “Now tell me he’s not into me. Girls hit on him all the time, some of them seriously hot chicks, and he never notices. He’s gay, he’s just spent so long in denial he’s havin’ a hard time acceptin’ the truth, but he’ll get there, and when he does… I’ll be right there waitin’.”
Ted shook his head. “I’ll believe that when I see it, but I’m not gonna hold my breath waitin’. I still think it’s mostly wishful thinkin’ on your part, but it’s your life. You wanna waste it tryin’ to win Ryo, that’s up to you.”
“Gee, thanks. Like I need your permission”
“I’m just sayin’. Plenty more fish in the sea.”
“And I’ve had way more of ‘em than you have, but these days there’s only one I want. I just gotta be patient a little while longer.”
“That’s exactly what JJ’s always sayin’.”
“Yeah, but JJ’s wrong and I’m right.”
“In your dreams.” Pushing off from Dee’s desk, Ted went back to his own.
“Only every night,” Dee murmured with a sigh. But if those dreams were anything close to reality, Ryo was going to be well worth the wait.
The End
Today, unfortunately for Dee, was not going to be that longed for day when JJ finally accepted that he wasn’t interested, because the second Dee set foot in the Serious Crime Unit’s squad room, there was an ear-spitting squeal of delight, and he was forced to brace for impact as JJ cannoned into him, babbling about how much he’d missed him. Like they hadn’t seen each other in months, when in reality it had been less than twelve hours. Dee really needed a vacation, just to recover from his colleague’s over-enthusiastic daily greetings. He was already black and blue, and he winced as JJ’s arms wrapped around him in a rib-cracking hug.
“For fuck’s sake, JJ, get off me!” Dee had to forcibly prise JJ off him, the little guy was like a cross between a limpet and a vice, and he pouted as Dee shoved him away, none too gently.
“Someone got out of bed on the wrong side this morning. I was only saying hello!”
“No, you were tryin’ to break my goddamn ribs! Just leave me the hell alone! Why can’t ya just accept I’m not interested, and I never will be?”
“But I love you! We’d be perfect together!”
“Only in your demented imagination! Get this through your thick skull: I don’t love you, I don’t want you, I don’t even LIKE you! Go find yourself someone who enjoys gettin’ glomped a dozen times a day, ‘cause that sure as hell isn’t me! Only thing you give me is a headache and more frickin’ bruises!”
“That’s not true! I give you lots of things!”
“And I don’t want any of ‘em, which you’d know if you ever listened to what I’m sayin’!”
“I can’t talk to you when you’re like this.” JJ frowned up at Dee.
“Like what, bein’ myself?”
“Being completely unreasonable. We’ll talk when you’ve calmed down.”
“Not if I see ya comin’ we won’t. I plan to be elsewhere.” Dee turned and shambled over to his desk, slumping into his chair and looking across to where his partner ought to be sitting, but Ryo wasn’t there. Disappointment swept through Dee; he’d been looking forward to seeing the man who filled most of his waking thoughts and all his best dreams. Ryo weas never late to work, so where was he?
“He’s in the Chief’s office,” Ted said, wandering over to join him. “You ever think you should maybe try followin’ your own advice, set your sights on someone who might be interested in you instead of lustin’ after Ryo? You’re as obsessed with him as JJ is with you.”
“Am not!” Dee glared up at his friend. “You take that back! You ever see me jumpin’ all over Ryo every time he walks in the room?”
“No, but you get this look that says you want to.”
“Who wouldn’t? He’s the hottest guy I’ve met in forever. Also happens to be my best friend.”
“But you want more than friendship, and you know it. You might keep your hands mostly to yourself at work, but everyone knows you’ve got the hots for him.”
“So what if I do? It’s not like I’m tryin’ to hide it.”
“You’re never gonna have him, any more than JJ’s ever gonna have you. Ryo doesn’t swing that way.”
“And since when have you been an expert? He’s just in denial, but I’m workin’ on that.”
“Like JJ’s workin’ on you?”
Dee snorted. “Not even close.”
“So what’s the difference between you pursuin’ Ryo, and JJ pursuin’ you? Explain it to me. Make me understand, ‘cause from where I’m standin’, you’re as bad as each other.”
“Okay.” Dee leaned back in his chair, stretching his long legs out and lacing his fingers behind his head. “JJ attacks me every single day, huggin’ me, tryin’ to kiss me, and if I could avoid him, I would. Not my fault we haveta work at the same precinct. I’ve never kissed him back, never spent time with him outside work, not one on one, and only AT work when I absolutely have to. I avoid him as much as I can. With me so far?”
“Sure.”
“Now Ryo… Yeah, we’re work partners, gotta work together all day, but outside work? I go over to his place for dinner two, three times a week, because he INVITES me. We hang out together after work all the time, spend hours just talkin’ about everything, ‘cause we’re friends.”
“Bein’ friends doesn’t mean he’s interested in anything more,” Ted pointed out.
“If that was all, maybe you’d be right, but, and this is the important part, when I kiss him, he kisses me back. He might get mad afterwards, at himself as much as at me, but it never stops him wantin’ to spend time with me. And one other thing. Sometimes, he’s the one who kisses me.” Dee grinned up at Ted. “Now tell me he’s not into me. Girls hit on him all the time, some of them seriously hot chicks, and he never notices. He’s gay, he’s just spent so long in denial he’s havin’ a hard time acceptin’ the truth, but he’ll get there, and when he does… I’ll be right there waitin’.”
Ted shook his head. “I’ll believe that when I see it, but I’m not gonna hold my breath waitin’. I still think it’s mostly wishful thinkin’ on your part, but it’s your life. You wanna waste it tryin’ to win Ryo, that’s up to you.”
“Gee, thanks. Like I need your permission”
“I’m just sayin’. Plenty more fish in the sea.”
“And I’ve had way more of ‘em than you have, but these days there’s only one I want. I just gotta be patient a little while longer.”
“That’s exactly what JJ’s always sayin’.”
“Yeah, but JJ’s wrong and I’m right.”
“In your dreams.” Pushing off from Dee’s desk, Ted went back to his own.
“Only every night,” Dee murmured with a sigh. But if those dreams were anything close to reality, Ryo was going to be well worth the wait.
The End
